Lakeshore Advance, 2013-03-06, Page 1716 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Sarnia
Cathy Dobson
OMI Agency
The non-profit organiza-
tion that stages Bayfest every
year is more than $500,0110 in
debt.
That fact clinched the out-
door festival's cancellation
this year, says the hoard
chairman.
The largest chunk --- more
than $400,000 -- was
incurred its 2012, 'Terry Sloka
PARK THEATRE 3° 1a
GODERICH 524 7811
Fri & Sat
6:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur 7:30
Sun, Tui & Thur
Mat. 1:30
ass
TMS
PG
Stun Amity Ntv,v
Rem, P NMa,Ir11 onded
R1rTT a 'Nun() (:N klevn
James Franco
MIIa Kunis
Michelle Williams
Rachel Weisz
rAi
PoV'/0iIL
Featuring the voles. of
Brendan Fraser
Sarah Jessica Parker
Jesalca Mba end mon
�•, E
1'
March
08 - 14
J
•
Fri & Sat
8:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur 7:30
Sun, Tue & Thur
Mat. 1:30
Some Story llo«w
www.nlovielirlks.ca k•n„,h.l.,n„ •1-800-265-3438
irsIncludes: Birthdays, Anniversaries
WedEngagements, Graduations etc.
ATTENTION READERS
'fake advantage of our pricing for
HAPPY NOTES
1
1
NAPPY BIR'T'HDAY 1111
(Nance Person)1
(Date)
Love
Mom & 1)ad
Only 1
$18.00
Plus
H.S.T.
Actual Size: Pre -Payment is Required
Just bring In your photo & write-up and we'll do the rest.
Other Sizes & Prices available upon request.
58 Ontario St., N.
Grand fiend
(519) 238-5383
est cancelled for 2013
said one day after the board of Bayfest
Festival of Performing Arts unani-
mously voted to suspend the summer's
premier concert event.
"1'nl just blown away with how this
has bummed so many people out,” said
Sloka, who owns Stoke's Inland (rill
and Bar. "We understand the frustration
but we need to he fiscally responsible.
"If we didn't (cancel Bayfest) and if
We carne back with another deficit, Bay-
les( really would be toast.
"The ,vans are too high to scale," he
said.
'Ihe goal of the seven -member board
of directors is to hold enough successful
fundraisers to get the festival back into
the black and reintroduce it in 2014.
"It will take a lot of work to dig our-
selves out and Wt' decided we'd better
step back and try to reinvent this,' Sloka
said.
Bayles( has had a rocky financial
existence since becoming a not( -profit
entity in 2000. It lost stoney in 200') but
made up for it in 21)10, the year head-
lined by Rush, Scorpions, Keith Urban
and Alan Jackson.
But 2011 and 2012 saw serious losses,
Sloka said. As the North American
economy declined, so did festival
attendance.
'(he risk of spending as (ranch as $4.7
million, the amount Iiuyfest cost in
2010, was too great if revenues weren't
going to ensure a break-even scenario.
"Each year, you hope you're tickling
someone's fancy with the choices you
stake on the bands. But Bayfest is not it
necessity. People keep saying they Inked
it and wanted it, but they didn't neces-
sarily go," he said.
The growing crowd taking up free
seats in the parking lot outside the gates
became a critical problem as the festi
val fought for every dollar, Sloka said.
More than 1,(1(1(1 people heard the
concerts without paying the ticket price.
"It got to be quite frustrating," Sloka
said
'Ihe hoard's decision to cancel wasn't
made lightly, he said.
New to (:rand Bend and area?
11ad a New Baby?
Getting Married?
First Time Grandparents?
Starting a Business?
Be sure to call...
:I .c •nM
A(iON,
51Mea 1911)
Faye Van Oss
519-238-8048
Judi Wilson
226-393-8()88
1.866-673.95141
Welcome Wagon has free gifts and
information on behalf of Grand Bend
& arca businesses.
WWW,%Velconrewagon.ca
Heather Wright OMI Agelx..
A worker Inspects the tarp on the Roger's Bayfest stage July 10, 2012.
Inflated band prices, no new spon-
sors, lower attendance and higher pro -
duction costs convinced bourn mem-
bers they wouldn't hreak even this
year.
As of this week, the performers avail-
able could not fill up a four-day festival
and the board didn't want to shorten it,
Sloka said.
"The bar has always been set high
and we don't want to diminish the
brand and what funs expect from us," be
said.
Work is already underway to revun1p
Inayfest and return with an event that
will Incorporate other attractions
beyond the music. One possibility is
slaking it it sports event as well.
"Other festivals have cone' back and
we can too," Sloka said. "It's absolutely
attainable. We truly feel that way."
Michele Stokley, who co-founded
Bayfest in 1999, made the decision to
slake it a nun -profit registered charity
after her husband Jim died nearly four
years ago.
She remains lia'fest's executive
director, books the bands and advises
the board.
"1 advised for this decision to cancel
this year," she 501(1. "Wt' had tried every-
thing but felt that after the last two
years, we'd likely lose money."
arlaj LEGION 4141:
ARP
BRANCH 498, GRAND BEND
BINGO Tuesday - 7pm
MEAT DRAWS
Friday - 5pm-7pm
ENTERTAINMENT
Saturday, March 16th 3-6pm
ST. PATRICK'S DAY
"MIKE "0" FAGAN & CLAN"
"You're only a stranger here once.'
EVERYONE WELCOME
KIDS & ALL
Call: Sharon 519-238-6865
Following are exerpts from an inter-
view with Michele Stokley on'l'uesday.
()MI Agency': 1 lave you been shocked
by the community's sometimes nega-
tive response on social media'?
M.S. "It's been a hard time for sure. 1
was reading the comments and had to
stop reading. I ahvays put my heart and
soul into llayfest and some people don't
realize that. "Will Bayles( return as far
as you are concerned'?
"It 1't'any has to Illilke sense. Wt' can
likely (10 it (in 20 14) but we don't want
to slake false promises. If we do, it has
to come back bigger because that's what
people want."
Do you think centennial park is the
best venue?
"It Inas its positives and negatives. On
the positive side, it's near marinas,
within Walking distance of hotels and
it's close to the downtown. But the
numbers who sit outside for free When
we are putting all this money out to put
it 011, that's always a big hurdle."
Did the cancellation have anything to
do With the black mystery sludge found
in the park?
"No. We'd just put the stage over top
of it"
'there are a few people Who have Iiay
fest tickets for e21)1:1 that they houghs
through some charitable events like the
Rotary auction. What should they do
with then(?
"1Ve can give them a tax receipt or
they can bold on to then( and use these
at another, smaller event.
Another event in 2013?
"1'ou never know. 'There's nothing
hooked Vet 011( 1 can't say anything yet.
1111( it's (voted( hanging O1) to those tick-
ets, possibly for this stammer.,"
Kitleto Theatre
Forest
" ZERO DARK THIRTY "
RATING: IAA
DATES: MAR. 9, 9, 10, 12
STARRING: JESSICA CHASTAIN, JOEL EDGERTON
AND CHRIS PRATT
un All s, .11:. AII Dar
St WW1 IME ft 1'M • ,'06
WW';kunst(',.1
Cnn„nq N.,•1 Weak 1Janhly 1t,,ol